Wednesday, May 6, 2009

BLT Burger: Las Vegas

On my recent trek to Las Vegas, I arrived on a Thursday during lunch time. I was hungry, having just spent too many hours on airplanes and in airports. I was staying at the Mirage Hotel and decided to eat at one of the restaurants there, choosing to get a burger at BLT Burger.

BLT Burger is part of the culinary empire of famed Chef Laurent Tourondel, a French-trained chef who owns numerous restaurants across the country, including: BLT Steak, BLT Fish, BLT Prime, and BLT Market. BLT Burger is his interpretation of the "classic American burger joint." The restaurant serves a variety of burgers from beef to turkey, from lamb to salmon. You can also order appetizers, sides, salads and drinks, including milkshakes to beers.

It is a casual restaurant with a long bar that arcs around the open grill area where you can watch your burgers being cooked. I took a seat at the bar and read the menu. The first thing you will notice is that this is not a cheap restaurant. The Classic is a basic, 7 ounce Angus beef burger and costs $12. Their most expensive burger is the American Kobe, also 7 ounces, at $17. For $10, you could order the Veggie Falafel. Cheese is $1 and bacon, grilled onions or sliced avocado is $1.50.

For sides, French Fries, Onion Rings and Sweet Potato fries all cost $5. Though they do have a few combination plates which will save you a few bucks. For example, you can get a Classic Burger, Fries, and Soda for $17. Or try a Classic Burger, Fries and a Milkshake for $19. This is certainly not a place for an inexpensive lunch.

Well, I was on vacation so I ordered away. I began with the Fried Dill Pickles ($5), which are exactly what you think: slices of dill pickle that have been coated, fried, and dusted with paprika. These tasted ok except I felt there was too much batter. The pickles were still nicely crunchy, and the flavor was good, but they would have been better with less fried batter covering the pickles.

I should also note that I stopped at BLT another time for a late-night snack, ordering the BBQ Nachos ($9) with Chopped Brisket and Monterey Jack. They were quite tasty, nice crisp corn chips with flavorful brisket and plenty of cheese. I would recommend them.

I ordered the Classic Combination, topped with Swiss and Bacon, with Waffles Fries and a Creamsicle Milkshake. It was a good, grilled burger with a soft bun but it was not great, and not worth $12. Now the Waffle Fries were excellent, nice and crispy on the outside and soft inside. There was a good portion of fries and I would order them again. The milkshake, made with Orange Sherbert and Vanilla Ice Cream, certainly tasted like an old-time creamsicle and the shake was topped by a mound of whipped cream and gummy candies. A sugar explosion but creamy and very delicious. You can even order some of their milkshakes with alcohol.

Overall I enjoyed my food, but the burgers are too pricey so I only can give this place a qualified recommendation. If the burgers were priced a few dollars less, I would give it a stronger recommendation.

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